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Measures of Distance
Letters from a Palestinian woman living in war-torn Lebanon to her daughter, whom she has not seen for years, and a series of photographs convey the effects of war and exile on their personal and cultural life, with a nuanced look at family relationships.
Measures of Distance is an uncharacteristically autobiographical work that, in Mona Hatoum’s words, speaks of displacement, disorientation, and a tremendous sense of loss. Hatoum was born to Palestinian parents living in exile in Beirut. In 1975, while visiting London, Hatoum became an exile herself; war broke out in Lebanon, and she stayed in England.
In this video, the artist overlays footage of her mother with scrolling Arabic script—the text of letters Hatoum’s mother wrote to her, which the artist reads aloud in English. This soundtrack is interspersed with candid dialogues between mother and daughter.
Bio Mona Hatoum
Artist Mona Hatoum (منى حاطوم) was born in 1952 to a Palestinian family living in exile in Lebanon, where she studied graphic design at the Beirut College for Women. She traveled to London, England, in 1975 and unexpectedly stayed longer than planned due to the Lebanese Civil War. She attended the Byam Shaw School of Art and the Slade School of Fine Art, both in London. Through her installations and sculptures, Hatoum explores the relationship between politics and the individual.
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- This film was #78 in the “Greatest” Short Films of All Time 2025